The former tennis pro and mom to son Theodore, 1, says she still loves the US Open — but only as a spectator these days
Going to the US Open looks a little different for Maria Sharapova these days. Instead of battling it out on the court with the best players in the world, she says she much prefers to watch from the stands.
“I love it,” Sharapova, 35, says about being a spectator at the Grand Slam, which is now underway. “I love having an outsider’s perspective. I love watching the new generations unfold, and the sport in general. In fact, I think the US Open is the only tennis event that I’ve been to in person since I retired. It’s a really special one, with the energy of the crowds there.”
The five-time Grand Slam championship, who won the US Open herself in 2006, announced her retirement in Feb. 2020 at age 32, and since then she says she’s been loving her post professional career.
“I’m very happy with where I am at this stage of life,” says the evian hydration ambassador, who became a mom to son Theodore in 2022. “I appreciate what the sport has taught me and where it’s taken me, but I definitely love seeing it from the outside now.”
This year at the US Open, Sharapova won’t just be a spectator, but is also going to be the captain of the SS evian, which is a floating tennis court that will sail up and down the Hudson River during the men’s finals on Sept. 10. Spectators can watch the finals from the ship, and even win a chance to volley with Sharapova herself.
“Evian has been one of my longest standing partnerships, and I’ve loved it and how it’s evolved,” Sharapova says. “They’ve also been one of the sponsors of the US Open for 35 years, and I always thought hydration was important when I was competing but it’s almost even more important now that I’m a mother.”
